Petite France, South Korea

I heard and read that there is a French cultural village in Gapyeong, South Korea called Petite Francewhich is located about an hour away from Seoul. It is a recreation of a typical village in Provence and it is entirely dedicated to Antoine de Saint -Exupéry‘s famous character ”Le Petit Prince”.

Being a curious and restless person, I decided to take a day off from my busy schedule and go on a little adventure away from the city.

Come along as we head to Petite France, South Korea.

My first stop? Cheongnyangni station to catch a train heading to Gapyeong Station (which is on the Gyeongchun Line).

I arrived at Gapyeong station only to find that I had just missed the free shuttle bus to the village!

Luckily, the nice lady at the Tourist Information Desk gave me all the information I needed. She even took me to the taxi stand where she gave directions to the driver and before I knew it we were on the way.

He spoke a bit of English and wanted to speak as much as he could! The road to the village is quite impressive and the view? Spectacular. He made an unscheduled stop to show me one of the best photo spots. Was it worth it? Oh definitely! See for yourself.

Talk about having a taxi driver and tour guide at once. It was my lucky day indeed 😉

After driving for 15 minutes and countless turns through the mountain, he stopped one more time to take a look of La Petite France from up the hill before arriving at the final destination.

The very first thing I did upon getting there was to ask the clerk at the entrance how to get back Seoul. She said that there was a local bus running every hour or so. I had to keep that in mind, so I set off to explore the premises.

I will let the pictures walk you through the little village.

There is even an observatory from where you can admire the village and also Mt Homyeongsan and Lake Cheongpyeong.

I must say that I was surprised to see that such a place exists in Korea. If you are really interested in French literature, movies and culture, like I am (I’m a French translator by profession and have studied for many years) and if like the Little Prince, you will find it quite interesting! I think an hour or two is enough to visit most of it.

Sadly, I had to leave and make my way back home. So I got on the local bus, arrived at the bus terminal and hopped on an express bus to Seoul. I was also in for a rare treat. From my bus seat I could admire the sunset. Have a look at this priceless image!

I certainly had a great time and I cannot wait for the next adventure which should be this coming week-end.

I think I just set my own personal record of the number of photos in one single post. Is there such thing as too many pics? Not for a photographer like me 🙂

This place kind of reminds me of MontTremblant for some reason! It’s always nice to have a cultural departure when you’re traveling. I had some amazing Chinese food in Africa- I’m guessing if I were to eat it again today, I’d just find it average, but at the time it was such a welcome departure from the usual chicken, fish, and rice I was eating everyday. Lemon! Ginger! Soy Sauce! I was in heaven!

Sometimes the best adventures happen when you miss a train (or turn a wrong corner)! What a great photo essay of your time in this charming little village. Thanks for the close-up of the mural art, so precious!

Taking so many photos when you’re in South Korea is totally understandable! It’s impossible to get contented with just one shot when you’re in such beautiful area!

I’m glad that you visited La Petite France in Gapyeong! If you watched A Gentleman’s Dignity, this is where they shoot one scene! It’s one of the prides of Gyeonggi Province, and looks best during Springtime because the nature is in full bloom! The colors of the flowers will really remind you of Provence. If only there’s a lavender field there…

And I wish you stayed there at night. When the skies turn dark, colorful lights lit up the whole place, and there’s even this area there where couples can walk through a shaped-heart tunnel lit with pink lights.

If you’re going back to Gapyeong, I suggest that you take the chance to go around the province. La Petite France is just one place you’ll appreciate. There are lots of Botanical Gardens there, which will surely impress you. I suggest the Plantation and the BCJ Garden. You may also want to visit the English Village in Yangpyeong, the setting of Boys Over Flowers. ^^

Hi, Karla,
I’m in the US and watch kdramas. I’ve seen what I now know is Petite France in “Beethoven Virus” and in “My Love From The Star.” I ended up finding your post about it. Thank you for the information and the photos.

About Me

Welcome! I'm Karla, a travel & food blogger and photographer. I aim to educate, inform and entertain thanks to my travels around the world, books, culture, lifestyle and so much more! If you have any questions or wish to work with me, drop me a line: travellersoul76@gmail.com. Enjoy your visit :)